Colors
by zulka
Summary: One-shot. AU. TalaxJulia Because she was a believer in fantasy, and he the ruler of a lost kingdom.


**Colors**_  
TalaxJulia_

_  
_One-shot

The soft sound of laughter and music floated over the landscape. The Kingdom of Uzro was throwing another one of their grand parties. It was the end of summer and to commemorate the event an End of Summer Masquerade Party was being thrown. With the autumn and winter their well-known balls would come, glittering with color in the dark winter nights and blazing with fire to challenge the winter wind.

Uzro had always prided itself in its formal magical parties that were shrouded in vision, as people from other kingdoms had proclaimed. Enchantment ran high in these gatherings for Uzro was the only Kingdom to bring bliss and forgetfulness in a torn world of fantasy.

Shrouded in mystery were the forests that stretched beyond the rose gardens of Uzro in which many believed lay a magical door into the dreams of yesteryear, the land that lay over the rainbow, a reflection of what once had been the world of Siahya.

Uzro made no distinction of class in its party for that would ruin the atmosphere and cause, something that above all had to be maintained. They were not just for entertainment but also to bring a bit of happiness into the heart of the wretched. Perhaps that was why an invitation to the Kingdom of Ytel was always sent out but never had one person from the Kingdom come to the majestic parties. Never, yet the king of Uzro had always hoped that someday the people of Ytel would come.

Ytel was considered the worst of all the Kingdoms and it was all due to the dark mystery that surrounded the kingdom. Of all the Kingdoms Ytel was the one that suffered and lost the most and the place had never recovered. It had sunk into a sea of grief with running rivers of blood and torturous memories.

Its aura was one of dark melancholy feelings that slowly tore at one's heart until it was nothing but a shredded bloody mess. The castles spires that once had raised high into clouds now lay dilapidated, a sorry reminder of the Kingdom's once glorious days. Its rose gardens, which had been the envy of all seven kingdoms, now lay withering and unattended, lost to the shades of black, white and grey.

Ytel was the essence of shattered dreams and never healing hearts and perhaps that was the reason the Uzro King always invited them. He wanted to salvage the souls that were lost to the dark clouds of misery and withering roses.

And perhaps this is where the story begins because as the laughter and happiness floated around Siahya disguised as whispers of wind bringing joyfulness into little children's dreams, a young man stood overlooking Uzro's rose gardens.

Lost among his thoughts he was, as he lost himself in the vivid colors that floated around him comforting a shattered childhood. The lofty ballroom with its superficial guests who danced among clouds of shallow dreams was no place for him. Why he had left his obscure abode to come he did not know.

Yet he was glad he did come at least to just glance at the vivid roses full of life and expression, for the ones at home were painted on a grayscale canvas of death. He had heard the stories about the wondrous rose gardens his kingdom had once possessed and since then he had wanted to see for himself what a real living rose looked like. Finally he had seen them.

He stood in a blur of dark colors, a mix between a vampire and a dark prince from Siahya's enemy world. His red hair ruffled in the gentle breeze that whispered of dreams and hopes. He frowned as it played with his cape. He had been a dreamer once and just like everyone he had hoped that he could bring his Kingdom back to its old days of glory, where the waters ran clean and sparkled with the rays of sunlight and where enchanted waltzes played during the warm summer nights.

And just like all dreams, they died. They had shriveled beneath the burning feelings of hopelessness that plagued his kingdom of nightmares. His ice blue eyes stared far ahead to a vanishing horizon of soft cotton dreams where the skies were a dark shade of blue entwined with wisps of silver that flowed from an overturned water colored vase.

The right side of his face was covered with a white mask with a slight frown. His bangs, which were composed of two strips of hair, fell limply, not even moving with the breeze that caressed the rest of his hair.

Music flowed to him once more from the ballroom and he figured that the guests had once again begun to dance the night and worries away. Yet he remained alone, lost in the multitude of colors that made up his new world of fragile dreams. He walked closer to the dark crimson rose bush that perfectly matched his shirt. He took one opening bud pricking himself with a thorn. But he did not care as the small droplet of blood ran down his pricked finger.

Hearing light footsteps he turned around lazily to find a blur of orange pass by and stop a few feet away from him. The other person apparently did not expect to find someone else in the rose garden; after all, most of the guests were still in the ballroom dancing. Turning, she faced a young man holding a deep crimson rose. Perhaps it was true that in Uzro's rose gardens one meet visions.

She could not see his full face for the right half was covered in a white mask with half a black sad smile painted on. He seemed to be the epitome of sadness. She turned her gaze away from him as she turned to stare at the roses. She had started coming to these enchanted parties only to visit the rose garden. She had heard about Ytel's enchanted ones and figured that Uzro's would be enough since Ytel was more or less considered a dead Kingdom.

She felt an awkward silence settle between them thick enough to become fog. She bit her bottom lip. Should she say something? She turned once more and noticed that he had turned and had sat on the edge of the fountain.

She wondered vaguely who he was. But the soft music of the ballroom reached her ears and she smiled lightly. She always made it to the garden at the right time. It was here that its fantasy cloud formed and the wind blew, taking loose petals from the roses and twirling them in a small tornado of coveted and stolen thoughts.

The young man turned to see the young girl staring unfocused at her surroundings. She wore a glittering orange mask that only covered the top of her face. Her dress was a simple summer dress that reached her knees; it shone in the pale moonlight and flowed with the wind. Her costume was finished by simple orange and gold wings. He also took notice of her strange hair. Her bangs, which framed her face, were orange while the rest was a chestnut color.

Everyone else would confuse her for a fairy but he knew what she was. She was a butterfly, free and graceful.

He had seen her eyes, a vibrant emerald green that spoke of dreams and untold secrets, eyes that had held him captive due to their intensity. He looked at her once more and took notice of the wind that was moving her wings, making it appear as if she was ready to fly away into the night.

He also noticed the small rose petals dancing around them in the wind and that was when he heard her voice. "They say that Uzro's rose gardens come close to Ytel's enchanted ones. But that they will never compare." she said as she turned to look at him.

"I don't think they would. Ytel's gardens are nothing but a has been." the young man answered. "Planted by grief and attended by death itself."

"I heard that they had once been the most beautiful ones in Siahya," the brunette whispered as she twirled along with the rose petals. She did not care that he was there. After all, after tonight they would never see each other again.

The redhead stood up and watched her. "They were." he said "But now they are nothing but shades of grey."

"I wanted to see them. I figured that eventually they would bloom once more." she told him as she stopped her twirling and faced the redhead.

Life, energy, and warmth shone through her as she stared at him with that intense defiant gaze. "I still want to believe in fantasy," she said as she threw him a brilliant smile. "I'm Julia."

He figured that she would be able to captivate crowds with that smile and brilliance that seemed to flow from her. He didn't see shyness from her. She seemed to be more of an out-going person.

A multitude of colors surrounded them drowning them in an array of enchantment that fairies themselves would envy. The scent of the roses wafted and filled them like sweetness of a naïve love.

"Would you tell me your name? Or would you rather remain in mystery?" she asked as she gave him a light smirk.

The corner of his lips twisted ever so lightly yet she only caught sight of his left lip for the right was already set in a painted frown. It made it look comical and mystifying as if he were two people trapped in one body. "Tala." he said as he remained where he was. He wanted to walk towards her but figured it was best if he stayed where he was.

"Tala eh? Where are you from? A forbidden kingdom perhaps?" she asked as she threw him a suspicious look before she smiled.

"You can say that," he said as she looked at her. He noticed that the petals had stopped flowing and were now falling to the ground the wind itself was dying. "A lost one."

"Really…"

"Where enchanted roses don't bloom anymore," he said as she smiled sadly.

"You're from Ytel," she whispered as she walked closer to him. He nodded as he stared at her. His eyes widened as she took off his mask. "Why do you believe in fantasy?" he asked as he stared into the emerald pools.

Julia stared at him. She could see the questions in his eyes and his chiseled features. "I need something to believe in. I need to hold on to something," she answered.

"And seeing Ytel's enchanted roses are enough?" he asked puzzled.

She nodded before she turned from him, his mask in her hands. "Even now?" he asked.

She nodded. "But they are dead."

She shrugged as she turned to face him. "Who says they won't bloom again? You?"

He narrowed his eyes lightly. "Yes I do say that. I believe that they won't bloom again."

"Why? Because you lost faith in them? Just like me many others still wait! Many others still hope for them to bloom. Your words will not deter me from hoping and dreaming." she said as she gave him a leveled look.

He turned from her. He envied that from her, the fact that even in these times she could still dream and hope. He looked towards the castle window and caught sight of people dancing. They twirled and glittered in their costumes and masks. He stared unblinking until his eyes burned and everyone just seemed to mesh with one another becoming a sea of superficial people who pretended they dreamed and hoped. When in reality they were nothing but ghost of yesteryear bitter and cold.

"Julia who believes in fantasy," he started as he shook his head as if in denial. "You intrigue me."

She cocked her head to her side puzzled. He turned to look at her. Walking towards her he could hear his past dreams whispering to him. He looked at his crimson rose and carefully took out the thorns. Looking at her he offered the rose.

She took the rose confused by his actions. "Its not like Ytel's." he whispered. He looked into her eyes. "Its color is not one you would find in our gardens unless we are mourning." She nodded.

"But you will see for yourself for I will search for you once the roses bloom in Ytel." he gave her a light smile before turning and leaving.

"Wait!" he stopped and he looked at her over his shoulder an eyebrow raised, waiting for her to continue.

"Is it true that they never wither unless cut from the gardens?"

His brows furrowed. "They are not eternal," he answered. "But I heard they were beautiful and they last as long as you…believe." he finished his sentence softly as a thought struck him. He chuckled lightly finally understanding.

"Well then," she smiled as she gave him a brilliant smile. "I guess we will find out together. I shall wait for you Tala."

He nodded. Whether he believe in fantasy or not there was more than living in a cold bitter kingdom with grey watercolor roses painted on a canvas. There were other colors…like orange.

He walked out the rose garden and prepared himself. It would be a long journey back to Ytel and a troublesome job to bring the gardens to life once more but to see that brilliant smile and emerald eyes shine he would do it.

Julia stared after him until she saw him disappear. She smiled as she looked at the crimson rose in her hand. Hearing footsteps she turned to see her twin brother coming towards her. She smiled as she ran towards him eager to tell him of her encounter.

It was true. In Uzro's parties one saw visions and sometimes they came true.

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**author's note:** this was deleted a long time ago but now it's back. so I hope you enjoyed. thanks!

angel del silencio


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